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The Portuguese midfielder was the hero for the Portuguese side with a dramatic decisive strike in their World Cup match against the Republic of Ireland, following Caoimhín Kelleher had kept out a spot-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Match Overview

Neves nodded in during stoppage time to snatch a narrow win, several seasons after Ronaldo had scored twice late on to overcome a stubborn Ireland team.

The Irish squad appeared poised to depart the Portuguese capital with a hard-fought draw, but in the end suffered defeat, despite restoring a significant amount of honor with a gritty performance that erased some of the memories of last month’s disappointing defeat in Armenia.

However, the loss puts them staring down the barrel, with their initial trio of qualifying group games having yielded only a solitary draw. They need to defeat Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday to maintain any chance of securing a playoff place.

Major Moments

• The Liverpool keeper seemed to have earned Ireland a draw when he brilliantly kept out Ronaldo’s penalty with his outstretched foot after a Portuguese player’s effort had struck an Irish defender’s hand.
• The match-winner came to his side’s rescue in the first minute of added time when he directed Trincão’s cross past the Irish goalkeeper.

Other Group Results

Portugal’s Group

Hungary boosted their chances of advancing by picking up their first win with a two-goal victory over Armenia, moving above their rivals into second place behind the group leaders in the standings. A Hungarian forward provided Hungary the lead in the opening period and Zsombor Gruber made sure of the points in second-half stoppage time.

England’s Group

The Serbian national team suffered a 1-0 loss at home to the Albanian squad, with the result meaning England can now seal their qualification from their qualifying group by beating Latvia on Tuesday. Rey Manaj scored the only goal for Albania with a well-taken shot in late added time.

The Latvian side struggles in Group K continued as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by the Andorran team. An Andorran player scored for the visitors late on from time to claim them their initial draw of the qualifiers and prolong Latvia’s winless run to several matches.

Spain’s Group

Spain continued their impressive Group E run with a 2-0 victory over the Georgian side after strikes from a Spanish attacker and Mikel Oyarzabal in the match venue. The result extended the title holders’ flawless run in the qualifiers, having scored 11 goals in three games without letting in a goal.

In spite of the unavailability of key figures such as a talented winger, another forward, and Rodri due to fitness issues, Luis de la Fuente’s side demonstrated their dominance against a Georgian team that passed the majority of the game defending deep. Spain controlled the encounter with more than 80% of the ball, and Georgia did not have one shot on target or generate a scoring opportunity, with only goalkeeper their keeper preventing a rout.

Pino broke the deadlock in the 24th minute from a well-executed set-piece move, and Oyarzabal wrapped up the win in the second period with a stunning free kick after Mamardashvili had denied a Spanish player’s spot-kick.

Additional Results

• Turkey bounced back with a comprehensive victory over Bulgaria to stay close to Spain in Group E. Real Madrid’s Arda Güler was one of the goal-getters.
• The Italian squad improved their prospects of at least reaching the qualifying playoffs with a 3-1 win away to the Estonian team, thanks to strikes from Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui, and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gennaro Gattuso said: “Our focus isn’t on the group leaders or our next opponents. We know what we have to do.”

Italy missed out for the last two World Cups, on two occasions falling short in the qualifying rounds, and the feared backdoor route now looks their most likely chance after Norway’s comprehensive win over Israel in Group I. Norway are top on 18 points from six matches. Italy have twelve points with a match less played on their competitors and are three points clear of their next opponents. The Estonian squad remain fourth on three points. The top teams qualify directly for the tournament, with the second-placed sides entering the playoffs.

The Italian national team host Israel on Tuesday, where a victory would cement the runner-up position and, while they can still mathematically overtake the group leaders on the table, the leaders’ far superior goal difference means a qualifying place probably beckons for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.